Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies, announced today two key executive officer promotions. Thomas D. Fenner has been promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president of Global Manufacturing Services for Oshkosh Corporation. Wilson R. Jones has been promoted to executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment. The changes are effective October 1, 2008.
“These executive changes will drive our ongoing efforts to maximize the corporation’s operational efficiencies, facilitate global expansion and continually improve customer responsiveness and new product development,” said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Corporation chairman and chief executive officer. “Both executives are tremendous assets to our organization and will be leaders in shaping our future growth strategy.”
Fenner will be responsible for improving operational excellence throughout all domestic and international manufacturing facilities across the corporation’s four business segments – Access, Defense, Fire & Emergency and Commercial. He will spearhead activities to continually improve operational efficiencies, drive lean initiatives, balance production levels and inventories with market demands, improve quality and delivery performance and expand Oshkosh Corporation’s global production capacity.
Fenner most recently served as executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment. He has held several key executive positions primarily in the area of operations since joining the company in 1982. Fenner will continue to serve as a principal officer of the Corporation.
Concurrent with Fenner’s appointment, Jones has been promoted to direct the overall operations of the Fire & Emergency segment consisting of the Pierce®, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, BAI™, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™ and SMIT™ brands. He will be responsible for developing and executing the segment’s growth strategies and continually improving customers’ experience with segment products and aftermarket support.
In addition to his new role, Jones will continue to serve as president of Pierce Manufacturing Inc. where he is responsible for Pierce fire apparatus and Medtec ambulance production and distribution. He joined Oshkosh Corporation in 2005 as vice president and general manager of the Airport Products business unit.
Both Fenner and Jones will report to Charles L. Szews, president and chief operating officer.
About Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, BAI™, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, Geesink™, Norba™, Kiggen™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®.
The Oshkosh brands are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount.
For more information, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that the Company believes are “forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding the Company's future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital spending and debt levels, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as "expects," "intends," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the consequences of the Company’s financial leverage position and the level of associated borrowing costs; the cyclical nature of the Company's access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, especially during a recession, which many believe the U.S. economy has already entered; risks related to reductions in government expenditures and the uncertainty of government contracts; and the Company’s ability to turnaround its Geesink Norba Group business. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Financial: Patrick Davidson
Vice
President, Investor Relations
920.966.5939
or
Media: Ann
Stawski
Vice President, Marketing Communications
920.966.5959
